Rummun v State of Mauritius [2013] UKPC 6; [2013] WLR (D) 53
“Where there had been substantial delay in a criminal trial it was the duty of the court, whether at sentence or on appeal and whether or not the matter had been raised by the defence, to examine the possibility of there having been a breach of the defendant’s right to a fair trial within a reasonable time, and if so whether that should influence the sentence to be imposed. The court should consider the factors which had caused the delay, including the responsibility of the defendant for any delay, but was to exercise caution in respect of any decision by him to contest the case on grounds which proved to be unfeasible, since a defendant to a criminal charge was entitled to put the prosecuting authorities to proof of his guilt.”
WLR Daily, 7th February 2013
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
